Tissue fixator

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to a needle for attaching a fixator to a soft tissue graft. The needle includes a pointed distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end including a suture coupler, the suture coupler including a hook and a pocket formed by the hook, wherein the needle is curved along an entire length of the needle. A fixator for use with the needle and method of fixating a soft tissue graft to a bone is also disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/249,449, filed Sep. 30, 2011, now allowed. The contents of this prior application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/249,449 claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/388,056, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Technology

The present disclosure relates generally to tissue graft fixation and, specifically, to components for use in tissue graft fixation.

2. Related Art

In ligament reconstruction surgery, if the graft used is harvested from the quad tendon, the choice to use a particular type of fixation device, namely an Endobutton®, requires the use of a suture and a whip type of stitch, which requires the need to tie a knot. The use of knots involves a certain amount of variation in stiffness from knot to knot. The Endobutton® CL uses a continuous loop of suture, which has no knot and has demonstrated superior strength and stiffness. Methods of fixating an Endobutton® CL to a graft, especially a quad tendon, and devices for use therewith are needed.

SUMMARY

In an aspect, the present disclosure relates to a needle for attaching a fixator to a soft tissue graft. The needle includes a pointed distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end including a suture coupler, the suture coupler including a hook and a pocket formed by the hook, wherein the needle is curved along an entire length of the needle.

In an embodiment, the proximal end further includes a passage and an opening to the passage. In an embodiment, the proximal end further includes a groove on each side of the proximal end. In another embodiment, the needle includes a channel along the length of the needle. In yet another embodiment, the grooves intersect with the pocket. In a further embodiment, the needle further includes a fixator coupled to the needle, the fixator including a flexible member coupled to the fixator, the flexible member coupling the fixator to the needle.

In yet a further embodiment, a portion of the flexible member is housed within the pocket. In an embodiment, portions of the flexible member extending from the pocket are housed within the grooves. In another embodiment, the flexible member is in the form of a continuous loop, the loop including a first end housed within the pocket and a second end coupled to the fixator. In yet another embodiment, the fixator includes at least one hole, the second end of the suture coupled to the fixator via use of the hole. In a further embodiment, the fixator includes two holes, the second end of the suture coupled to the fixator via use of the two holes. In yet a further embodiment, the fixator includes four holes, the second end of the suture couped to the fixator via use of two of the holes, a trailing suture coupled to the third hole, and a leading suture coupled to the fourth hole.

In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method of fixating a soft tissue graft to bone. The method including coupling a fixator to the soft tissue graft via use of a needle, the needle including a pointed distal end, and a proximal end, the proximal end including a suture coupler, the suture coupler including a hook and a pocket formed by the hook, wherein the needle is curved along an entire length of the needle; and coupling the soft tissue graft to the bone via use of the fixator.

In an embodiment, the method further includes passing the soft tissue graft through a tunnel within the bone, the bone including a femur. In another embodiment, the fixator includes a flexible member coupled to the fixator, the flexible member coupling the fixator to the needle. In yet another embodiment, a portion of the flexible member is housed within the pocket. In a further embodiment, the flexible member is in the form of a continuous loop, the loop including a first end housed within the pocket and a second end coupled to the fixator.

In yet a further embodiment, the fixator includes at least one hole, the second end of the suture coupled to the fixator via use of the hole. In an embodiment, the fixator includes two holes, the second end of the suture coupled to the fixator via use of the two holes. In another embodiment, the fixator includes four holes, the second end of the suture coupled to the fixator via use of two of the holes, a trailing suture coupled to a third hole, and a leading suture coupled to a fourth hole.

Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the disclosure, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure and together with the written description serve to explain the principles, characteristics, and features of the disclosure. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the needle of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of the needle of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows an isometric view of the needle of FIG. 1 coupled to a fixator of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 4-12 show the method of fixating a soft tissue graft to bone of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show the needle 10 of the present disclosure. The needle 10 includes a distal end 11 and a proximal end 12. For the purposes of this disclosure, the distal end 11 is pointed. However, it is within the scope of this disclosure for the distal end 11 to not be pointed. The proximal end 12 includes a suture coupler 12 a having a passage 12 b and an opening 12 b′ to the passage 12 b, a hook 12 c, and a pocket 12 d formed by the hook 12 c. Additionally, the suture coupler 12 a includes grooves 12 e on each side of the coupler 12 a, which intersect with the pocket 12 d. For the purposes of this disclosure, the needle 10 is curved along its entire length. However, it is within the scope of this disclosure for the needle 10 to not be curved. Furthermore, the needle 10 includes channels 13 along a length of the needle 10. It is within the scope of this disclosure for the needle to have less than two channels 13 or no channels 13. The purposes of the pocket 12 d and the grooves 12 e are for housing of a portion or portions of suture, as will be further described below. The needle 10 is made from a biocompatible metal material and via a process known to one of skill in the art. However, other material that would allow the needle 10 to be strong enough to be used for its intended purpose may be used.

FIG. 3 shows the needle 10 with a fixator 20 coupled to the needle 10. The fixator 20 is an Endobutton®CL, manufactured and sold by Smith & Nephew, Inc. The fixator 20 includes a fixation device 21 and a closed loop suture 22 coupled to the fixation device 21. A first end 22 a of the suture 22 is coupled to the suture coupler 12 a by placing the end 22 a through the opening 12 b′ of the passage 12 b, through, the passage 12 b, and into the pocket 12 d. The hook 12 c substantially reduces the possibility of the end 22 a from escaping the pocket 12 d and thereby de-coupling from the needle 10. The fixation device 21 includes four holes 21 a, 21 b with a second end 22 b of the suture 22 coupled to two of the holes 21 a. It is within the scope of this disclosure for the fixation device 21 to include one hole 21 a and for the end 22 a of suture 22 to be coupled to the fixation device 21 via the one hole 21 a. Additionally, the fixation device 21 includes two additional holes 21 b. These holes 21 b are for housing of trailing and leading sutures, as is further described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,306,301, 5,645,588, 6,533,802, and 7,530,990, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

FIGS. 4-12 show a method of coupling a soft tissue graft 30 to bone. FIG. 4 shows a soft tissue graft 30. For the purposes of this disclosure, the graft 30 is a quad tendon. However, the graft 30 could be another human or animal soft tissue or a synthetic tissue. The graft 30 includes a first end 31 and a second end 32. While not shown in FIGS. 4-12, the first end 31 includes bone. The second end 32, which doesn't include bone, is the end that the fixator 20 is coupled to. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the needle 10 is placed through a first location 32 a of end 32 and pulled through the graft 30. As shown in FIGS. 6-8, the needle 10 is subsequently brought back around the graft 30, placed through a second location 32 b of end 32, and pulled through the graft 30. As shown in FIGS. 9-11, the needle 10 is brought back around the end 32 such that suture end 22 a is looped around end 32. The needle 10 may then be removed from the suture 22 by removing needle 10 from end 22 a. As shown in FIG. 12, the final step is to pull on the fixation device 21 to tension suture 22 around end 32. For the purposes of this disclosure, the needle 10 is placed through the graft 30 twice. However, it is within the scope of this disclosure to place the needle 10 through the graft 30 more or less than two times.

Once the fixator 20 has been coupled to the graft 30, the graft 30 can be pulled through bone tunnels located in the tibia and femur and the graft 30 may be affixed to the femur by resting the fixation device 21 on the outer surface of the femur, as more fully explained in the '301, '588, '802, and '990 patents. For the purposes of this disclosure, the method involves the use of the needle 10 and fixator 20 with a soft tissue graft in ligament reconstruction surgery on the knee. However, the needle 10 and fixator 20 may be used with a soft tissue graft in connection with another type of surgery.

As various modifications could be made to the exemplary embodiments, as described above with reference to the corresponding illustrations, without departing from the scope of the disclosure, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of fixating a soft tissue graft to bone, the method comprising: coupling a fixator to the soft tissue graft via use of a needle, the needle comprising a pointed distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end including a suture coupler, the suture coupler including a hook and a pocket formed by the hook, the needle curved; and coupling the soft tissue graft to the bone via use of the fixator.
 2. The method of claim 1 further including: passing the soft tissue graft through a tunnel within the bone, the bone including a femur.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fixator includes a flexible member coupled to the fixator, the flexible member coupling the fixator to the needle.
 4. The needle of claim 3, wherein a portion of the flexible member is housed within the pocket.
 5. The needle of claim 4, wherein the flexible member a continuous loop, the loop including a first end housed within the pocket and a second end coupled to the fixator.
 6. The needle of claim 5, wherein the fixator includes at least one hole, the second end of the suture coupled to the fixator via use of the hole.
 7. The needle of claim 6, wherein the fixator includes two holes, the second end of the suture coupled to the fixator via use of the two holes.
 8. The needle of claim 7, wherein the fixator includes four holes, the second end of the suture coupled to the fixator via use of two of the holes, a trailing suture coupled to a third hole, and a leading suture coupled to a fourth hole. 